The Gospel for Muslims by Matt Slick

Dear Muslim,

Assalamu alaikum

The Gospel of Jesus is Good News. That is what "gospel" means in Greek, the original

language of the New Testament. It is the good news because Jesus has fulfilled the

requirements of keeping the Law, so that through Jesus, we can receive the complete

forgiveness of our sins. By Jesus keeping the Law of God the Father perfectly and by him

dying and rising from the dead as proof that his good life was acceptable to God, Jesus has

made it possible for people to receive the free and complete gift of salvation by faith.

Our father Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). It

was his faith in God that made Abraham righteous before God--not keeping the law and not

keeping the commandments. He couldn't do it perfectly.

The Law of God is perfect because God is perfect. The Law is a reflection of the character of

God. It is wrong to lie because lying is against God's character. It is wrong to steal because

stealing is against God's character. That is why the Law tells us what is wrong. The Law is a

based on God's holy character. This is why God's law is not arbitrary. It is there for a reason.

Though the Law is good and perfect, no man can keep it perfectly.

Jesus taught us that to even look on a woman with lust in your heart is to commit adultery

with her (Matt. 5:27-28). You see, the Law of God is not simply to govern actions. It is for

our hearts and attitudes. Purity of heart is what God wants from us--purity of heart down to

the deepest part of our being. Why? Because God's heart is the Purest and Most Holy of all.

And since the Law was spoken by Him and came from Him, the Law is Perfect and Holy.

That is the level of perfection you must have when trying to keep the Law. You must be

perfect and without sin in order to stand before an infinite and holy God.

However, we are not able to keep the Law. We sin. We fail. The Law says do not lie but

shows us where we lie--in our very hearts. It says do not commit adultery but shows us

where we commit adultery--in our hearts. The Law of God is perfect. We are not. God is

perfect and Holy. We are not. We are not able to keep the Law of God because we are finite,

limited, and affected by sin. So we have to ask how can anyone ever hope to please God

through keeping the Law? How can anyone ever hope to please God and attain heaven by

doing good deeds? It is not ourselves that we must please but a Holy and Pure God.

The Good News

The Good News is that you do not have to try to keep the Law of God in order to please Him

and go to heaven. You do not have to try to raise yourself to the level of God's Perfection by

trying to keep His Holy and Perfect Law. You cannot do that. If you thought you could, then

your heart is full of pride and sin since you would be thinking you are as perfect and good as

God's holy character. You cannot keep God's law perfectly. This is impossible, but what is

impossible with us is possible with Jesus. He kept all the Law perfectly and never sinned (1

Pet. 2:22).

Jesus said that "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay his life down for his friends."

(John 15:13). Jesus laid his life down for his friends. Jesus performed the greatest act of

love. He died for our sins. He paid the penalty of breaking the Law, which is death.

Remember, sin brings damnation. But, Jesus took our sins and took death opon himself. In

other words, he took our place; and in doing this, he also bore our sins in his body on the

cross as it says in 1 Pet. 2:24. This great act of love is unsurpassed in all the world. It is

unsurpassed in Islam because in the Koran, the greatest act of love, dying for another, is not

performed by God. But in the Bible, it is. Jesus is God in flesh, second person of the Trinity,

who became one of us, suffered at the hands of sinful men, died on the cross, and rose from

the dead. Therefore, the promise of God is that all who trust in Jesus will, like Abraham, be

made righteous before God by faith (Gen. 15:6).

In the Quran it says in Surah 23:101-103, "Then when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no

more relationships between them that Day, nor will one ask after another! 102Then those

whose balance (of good deeds) is heavy, they will attain salvation: 103 But those whose

balance is light, will be those who have lost their souls, in Hell will they abide."

Are you tired of trying to keep all the Laws in Islam as you strive to do more good deeds than

bad deeds in the hope that on the Day of Judgment your good deeds will outweigh your bad?

You see, because you earn in large part your salvation by your works, you cannot know

whether or not you will be saved. If you are tired of trying to be perfect and of trying to

obtain Paradise through your efforts and you realize that you are not good enough, then you

need Jesus. Jesus said, "If any of you are heavy laden, come to me, and I will give you rest."

(Matt. 11:28).

Jesus forgave sins in Luke 5:20 and 7:48-49. He walked on water (Matt. 14:25). He rose

from the dead (Matt. 28:6). Have you done more than Jesus in keeping the Law or

performing miracles? Has even the Prophet Muhammad done more than Jesus? No, he has

not.

The Good News is that you, like Abraham, can be made righteous by faith. Do you want the

righteousness that is by faith? Or, do you want to earn Paradise through your deeds? Can

you earn it? Have you done it so far? Have you been doing enough good to be saved?

Jesus said:

that He gives eternal life, (John 10:28-30).

that He received all authority in heaven and earth, (Matt. 28:18).

that He is the Way the Truth and The Life, (John 14:6).

that He will resurrect people on the Last Day, (John 6:40, 44, 54).

that the Holy Spirit bears witness of Him, (John 15:26).

Do you want to try to please God through keeping the Law of Allah or by the grace of

Christ? Again, Jesus said that the greatest act of love is to die for another. Is it the greatest

act of love to ask you to earn heaven through good deeds that perhaps, if Allah wills, you

might be saved? In which is the greatest act of love shown to us?

If you want the eternal life that Jesus can give you, then trust what He did on the cross and do

not rely on your own works to please God. Trust Jesus by faith. It is not Muhammad who

forgives sins. Jesus does that (Luke 5:20; 7:48-49). It is not Muhammad who died and rose

from the dead. Jesus did that. It was not Muhammad who said "Come to me and I will give

you rest." Jesus said that. And, Jesus also said, "Believe in God. Believe also in me." (John

14:1).

Like Abraham, be righteous in God's eyes . . . by faith.